About
Greetings! My name is Daniel. I was born in Silver Spring, just outside DC, but moved with my family to New York City shortly thereafter. I grew up mostly in the Long Island suburbs, attending Harvard for undergrad and studying Chemical and Physical Biology (or, as I liked to call it, all science). In reality I kindled an interest in neuroscience and enjoyed working with other scientists in the lab, thinking about experiments that taught us more about how the brain works. I went back to New York City to start an MD/PhD program that, without exaggeration, lasted the entire Obama administration. I had a great time and was able to serve the medical and graduate schools in various capacities, from recruitment to diversity affairs oversight, and this strengthened my desire to do more than just work in the lab or see patients in clinic.
After graduation, I spent a year at the University of Miami and Jackson Memorial Hospital, which exposed me to a different cultural and sociopolitical environment and grounded my appreciation of warm weather! I then joined UCLA as a neurology resident in 2018, excited to put down roots in the community here and contribute to making life better for residents. I am very excited to anchor the new MHO within UCLA’s commitment to antiracism and promoting racial (and health!) justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Outside of medicine and science and work, I like exploring town (by bike if possible) and meeting up with friends to relax and catch up or to hike and do outdoor activities. I try to keep up with the news and love a good long-form magazine feature. Podcasts may be the death of me, but I try to keep up on several, even if my This American Life episode queue is starting to rival my New Yorker backlog. Finally, I love keeping up with the latest in high quality (and often award-nominated) TV and movies.